Identifying dimensions of vocabulary knowledge in the word associates test (original) (raw)
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Assessing L2 vocabulary depth with Word Associates Format tests: Issues, findings, and suggestions
Word Associates Format (WAF) tests are often used to measure second language learners' vocabulary depth with a focus on their network knowledge. Yet, there were often many variations in the specific forms of the tests and the ways they were used, which tended to have an impact on learners' response behaviors and, more importantly, the psychometric properties of the tests. This paper reviews the general practices, key issues, and research findings that pertain to WAF tests in four major areas, including the design features of WAF tests, conditions for test administration, scoring methods, and test-taker characteristics. In each area, a set of variables is identified and described with relevant research findings also presented and discussed. Around eight topics, the General Discussion section provides some suggestions and directions for the development of WAF tests and the use of them as research tools in the future. This paper is hoped to help researchers become better aware that the results generated by a WAF test may vary depending on what specific design the test has, how it is administered and scored, and who the learners are, and consequently, make better decisions in their research that involves a WAF test.
2021
This study compared two tests of second language (L2) depth of vocabulary knowledge, namely the word association test (WAT) and vocabulary knowledge scale (VKS), with respect to their associations with vocabulary size. The same relationships were further examined separately for the five word-frequency bands of the vocabulary size test. To this end, 115 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners took the WAT, VKS, and Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT). Results of multiple linear regression analyses indicated that: (a) while both measures of vocabulary depth were predictive of the VLT, the WAT had a higher association with the dependent variable; (b) both the WAT and VKS were predictive of the high-frequency vocabulary, with the relationships being more significant for the WAT; (c) the WAT could significantly predict the mid-frequency vocabulary, whereas the VKS had no significant contribution; and (d) while the VKS was significantly associated with the low-frequency vocabulary, the WAT ...
A Review of Four Studies on Measuring Vocabulary Knowledge
Vocabulary Learning and Instruction, 2014
The purpose of this paper is to review each of the following four vocabulary studies: (1) Estimations of Japanese University Learners' English Vocabulary Sizes Using the Vocabulary Size Test (VST), by Stuart McLean, Nicholas Hogg, and Brandon Kramer; (2) Local Item Dependence on the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) Revisited, by Tadamitsu Kamimoto; (3) Test Taking and DK Use on the VST, by Dawn Lucovich; (4) Estimating Learners' Vocabulary Size under Item Response Theory (IRT), by Aaron Gibson.
Journal of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 2017
(2017). The relationship of sub-components of manifold dimensions of vocabulary depth knowledge and academic reading comprehension among English as a foreign language learners at tertiary level. Journal of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 21(1), 85-114 This study makes an attempt to investigate the correlations between manifold aspects, namely both syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, the four major derivative word forms, which represented morphological knowledge, six dimensions of analytic relations (i.e. component-integral, member-collection, portion-mass, stuff-object, feature-activity, and place-area) of vocabulary depth knowledge and academic reading comprehension among English as a Foreign Language learners at tertiary level. To this end, ninety one students from three departments of Business school and sixty four Engineering students (two departments) took part voluntarily in three depth of vocabulary knowledge tests and one reading comprehension test, which consisted of three reading passages with followed multiple choice questions. Results showed that firstly, analytic relations, which represented depth of vocabulary knowledge was positively and significantly correlated with reading comprehension. In other words, those students who gained more analytical relations (part-whole) knowledge performed better in reading comprehension than students with morphological knowledge and syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, which represented depth of vocabulary knowledge. Secondly, students who had more paradigmatic (synonyms) relation knowledge performed better in reading comprehension than those who had syntagmatic relation (collocations), one of the two sub-tests of vocabulary depth knowledge test. Thirdly, the four major derivational word forms, i.e. noun, verb, adjective, and adverb were positively and either strongly or moderately correlated with dependent variable, academic reading comprehension. Fourthly, except one aspect of analytic relations, i.e. stuff-object analytic relations aspect, the rest of other five dimensions of analytic relations, namely component-integral, portion-mass, member-collection, place-area, and feature-activity analytic relations facets were positively and either strongly or moderately correlated with dependent variable, academic reading comprehension. Corresponding author: Md. Kamrul Hasan 85 2017 PAAL 1345-8353. Md. Kamrul Hasan and Ahmad Affendi Shabdin
Estimations of Japanese University Learners’ English Vocabulary Sizes Using the Vocabulary Size Test
Vocabulary Learning and Instruction, 2014
Measuring students' lexica is time-consuming, as one sitting of the Vocabulary Size Test (VST) usually takes 40Á60 minutes. As a result, teachers would benefit from being able to make reasonable estimates from commonly available information. This paper aims to investigate: (1) What are the mean vocabulary sizes of students at Japanese universities as a whole, and by university department (hensachi)? and (2) Are a university's department standardized rank scores (hensachi) a useful proxy for English vocabulary size? This study used a cross-sectional design where 3,449 Japanese university students were tested using Nation and Beglar's VST. The results showed an average score of 3,715.20 word families and that VST scores were significantly higher for students in higher department hensachi programs. This current department hensachi was also found to have a stronger correlation with VST scores than with other covariates when the entire sample was considered. Lastly, there appears to be a lack of consistent knowledge of the most frequent words of English, suggesting that curriculum designers at Japanese universities should focus on teaching high-frequency English words. Although the findings support the use of the VST for comparing receptive written vocabulary knowledge between learners, they perhaps do not support its use in establishing a vocabulary size to decide lexically appropriate materials.
JABAET (Japan-Britain Association for English Teaching) Journal, 7, 23–52., 2003
The purposes of this study are (a) to develop a sufficiently valid productive vocabulary knowledge test (Productive VKT) for novice Japanese learners of English that uses a translation method and (b) to examine if there is a difference in the degree of validity between two scoring methods of assessing productive vocabulary knowledge. With the Spoken and Written (SW) scoring method, one point is provided even when a meaning and a written form do not match exactly, but when a spelling suggests that a test taker knows the correct spoken form. With the Written (W) method, one point was given only when a meaning and a written form match exactly. The research shows that the Productive VKT has an acceptable level of validity. As for the relationships between the two scoring methods, the SW and W methods tend to measure similar aspects of knowledge, and the W method excels the SW method in terms of validity and practicality.
Self-Assessments of Vocabulary Knowledge:Partial Replication
2004
Vocabulary is an important component in language learning,as it pervades all four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Vocabulary knowledge considerably helps language learners in both comprehension and production. In fact,some students of elementary proficiency,who know little grammar,can not only guess the meanings of even cognitively demanding reading materials but also produce understandable sentences as long as they have vocabulary knowledge from a dictionary or other sources. Indeed, vocabulary knowledge plays a significant role in English proficiency. Thus,research on the subject should not be neglected. One means of measuring language proficiency that has been gaining attention recently among Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages(TESOL)professionals has been self-assessment,also referred to as self-evaluation. The following study,which partially replicates an investigation done by Laufer and Yano (2001), examines the accuracy of self-assessment...
Humanities and Social Sciences Review, 2020
Purpose of the study: An in-depth investigation of vocabulary depth knowledge by lexical researchers plays an important role in language learning and teaching. The present study examined vocabulary depth knowledge of Business EFL learners and its correlation and prediction to academic reading comprehension, employing morphological knowledge and analytical relations with syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations as part of vocabulary depth knowledge. Methodology: The study employed standard multiple regression analysis under a quantitative approach among 120 Business undergraduate EFL students at the tertiary level. Main Findings: Results showed vocabulary depth knowledge, i.e., syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, had the strongest and significant correlation with reading comprehension compared to other independent variables. Significantly, vocabulary knowledge, combined with paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations, was found to be a significant and unique predictor of academic reading comprehension. About 62.2 percent of the variance in academic reading comprehension was explained jointly by all three independent variables. About 32 percent of the variance was explained by the vocabulary depth knowledge test alone. Also, syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, represented the depth of vocabulary knowledge test made the most significant unique contribution (uniquely explained about 20.25 percent) to explaining academic reading comprehension in comparison with other dimensions of vocabulary depth knowledge. These findings were elaborated in the perspective of combined paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations as the depth of vocabulary knowledge, derivative word forms as morphological knowledge, part-whole relations as analytic relations and their relationship and contribution to reading comprehension. Applications of this study: The study suggests that the depth of vocabulary knowledge would have practical use for the students, English teachers at the tertiary level and further implications for lexical researchers. Novelty/Originality of this study: The inclusion of analytic relations with paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations and morphological knowledge, which represented the depth of vocabulary knowledge, has added to the body of lexical knowledge.
Assessing the depth of second language vocabulary knowledge
Retrieved January, 2005
This paper reviews the constructs of vocabulary knowledge, some of the established measures of the depth of L2 vocabulary knowledge, and proposes three measures to assess the depth of meaning dimension of L2 vocabulary knowledge and one measure of the breadth of meaning dimension of L2 vocabulary knowledge. The depth of meaning dimension refers to the knowledge of the syntactic and semantic features which make up the meaning of a word, and therefore, the knowledge of the meaning boundary of a word. The three measures are Forward Translation Recognition Matrix, Sentence Completion Recognition Matrix, and Acceptability Judgement. Meanwhile, the breadth of meaning of a word refers to the multiple meaning senses of a word. One measure, i.e. measure of breadth of meaning, and its variant are proposed. It is suggested that the proposed measures be critically reviewed, developed and improved for the sake of future research on the depth of vocabulary knowledge.
Structural Equation Modeling of Vocabulary Size and Depth Using Conventional and Bayesian Methods
Frontiers in Psychology, 2020
In classifications of vocabulary knowledge, vocabulary size and depth have often been separately conceptualized (Schmitt, 2014). Although size and depth are known to be substantially correlated, it is not clear whether they are a single construct or two separate components of vocabulary knowledge (Yanagisawa and Webb, 2020). This issue has not been addressed extensively in the literature and can be better examined using structural equation modeling (SEM), with measurement error modeled separately from the construct of interest. The current study reports on conventional and Bayesian SEM approaches (e.g., Muthén and Asparouhov, 2012) to examine the factor structure of the size and depth of second language vocabulary knowledge of Japanese adult learners of English. A total of 255 participants took five vocabulary tests. One test was designed to measure vocabulary size in terms of the number of words known, while the remaining four were designed to measure vocabulary depth in terms of word association, polysemy, and collocation. All tests used a multiple-choice format. The size test was divided into three subtests according to word frequency. Results from conventional and Bayesian SEM show that a correlated two-factor model of size and depth with three and four indicators, respectively, fit better than a single-factor model of size and depth. In the two-factor model, vocabulary size and depth were strongly correlated (r = 0.945 for conventional SEM and 0.943 for Bayesian SEM with cross-loadings), but they were distinct. The implications of these findings are discussed.